Lowering Drinking Age Could Increase High School Dropout Rate
A new study released by Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies found that lowering the legal drinking age limit to eighteen can lead to higher high school drop out rates.
The current legal drinking age here in the United States is 21, but in some countries the drinking age is as low as 16. Experts here have long been debating possibly lowering the drinking age to 18, but new findings may effect their decisions.
The study also found lowering the drinking age affected men, women and different races differently. It found that a lower drinking age has a more significant effect on female drinkers, with about five to eighteen percent more likely to drop out. Also, Blacks are five to nineteen percent more likely to drop out with a lower drinking age, while six percent of Hispanics are more likely to drop out.
Overall, exposure to alcohol at a lower age is associated with four to thirteen percent of high school dropouts.
The study found that having students who can legally buy alcohol in a high school setting increased access to alcohol for students under 17, therefore leading to higher drop out rates.
The ability to legally purchase alcohol before age 21 has been linked not only to promoting both earlier drinking and heavier drinking patterns, but also to outcomes that are likely a consequence of earlier risky drinking. These consequences include teen traffic fatalities and decreased educational attainment.
Now while the study notes that lowering the drinking age will allow easier access to alcohol to those underage, it also notes that there are other ways in which underage drinkers can acquire alcohol. In fact, the study found that underage drinkers on college campuses often report being able to easily obtain alcohol and that legal-aged drinkers are their primary source.
On the flip side, most legal-aged college students reported frequently providing alcohol to underage peers.
In conclusion, the study suggests that setting an age limit can promote less dangerous drinking behavior regardless of the familial risk of alcohol use disorders.
